Novak Djokovic’s triumphant gesture after advancing to the US Open final.
Robert German, Reuters
Djokovic also managed the semifinals in five sets with his Olympic winner Alexander Zverev. And after more than a three-and-a-half-hour battle, he promised not only to the excited spectators in Arthur Ash’s arena: “I will put everything into the finals. Heart, body, mind. As if it were my last match.”
Only the Russian Daniil Medvedev has a chance to deprive Djokovic of a historical record. The phenomenal Steffi Graf won the singles in the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in one year in 1988.
Rod Laver did not miss Novak Djokovic’s semi-final duel with Alexander Zverev.
John Minchillo, ČTK / AP
However, a man who was the only one to do so twice in 1962 and 1969 arrived at the duel with Zverev: the Australian Mohican Rod Laver.
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It’s an unimaginably difficult test of performance and psyche, which Serena Williams could tell. Six years ago, she found herself in the same phase as Djokovic, but she did not hold the semifinals of the US Open with the unattached Italian outsider Roberta Vinci.
Djokovic’s dominance in contemporary world tennis is absolutely fascinating. He won eight of the last twelve grand slams and on Sunday he will be aiming for the 21st big title, which would bounce the pair of his biggest rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
“People are happy to talk about it, but there’s really nothing to say. Everything is at stake,” smiled Djokovic, who this time managed to tilt the audience as he mastered several spectacular exchanges in which he and Zverev raced across the court.
Djokovic defeated Zverev, the win separates him from the calendar grand slam and the 21st trophy
“I knew it would be a battle. Sasha is a great champion and a good friend. The atmosphere was great. The best in the tournament,” said the Belgrade native. “These are the moments we live for that we dream of.”
The 34-year-old Serbian tennis player won the US Open in 2011, 2015 and 2018. A fourth triumph would even statistically give him the title of the best player of all time, which his fans have not doubted for a long time.
One match, three sets won and Djokovic will engrave a giant track into tennis history. But there is still Medvedev, who has already managed to beat Srba three times out of eight matches. In the final of this year’s Australian Open, however, the 25-year-old Russian suffered a heavy defeat.
“Body and mind must be in balance on the court. No one else will help you,” Djokovic said before Sunday’s truth match.
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